I’m an etiquette coach – the fashion blunder that makes you look cheap and like you’re making up for growing up in poverty

FASHION fans, if you pride yourself on your high-end accessories, beware: your “statement jewelry” may not say what you think it does.

An etiquette expert deciphered the embarrassing message you might be sending with your accessory choices and how you can communicate class and sophistication instead.

3

3

Etiquette coach and influencer Karina uses TikTok to share style tips with her 361,000 followers. In a recent video, she challenged one of her biggest fashion pet peeve.

“Why does this look cheesy, cheap and awful?” Karina asked at the beginning of the video.

She pointed to a photo behind her that showed a woman’s arm with expensive Cartier bracelets and a watch with the brand’s name in bold letters across the face.

The etiquette trainer explained the message a stack of fancy jewelry sends to observers.

“On a psychological level, this signals an overcompensation for something else,” Karina said.

“It could be, ‘I’m trying to show everyone I have money,’ or ‘I’ve never had any money, and this is my first opportunity to show it.'”

In return, she said, designer pieces look cheap and the quality of their construction is lost.

“It doesn’t mean you don’t wear designer pieces,” she explained. “They can be made tasteful.”

To demonstrate, Karina shared an editorial image of a Bulgari necklace on model Lily Aldridge.

Aside from the stunning necklace and smoky eyeliner, there wasn’t much else to the minimalist look, and Karina said that made it pop.

“It looks fierce, it looks sophisticated,” Karina explained.

“The attention is on the piece of jewellery, but also on her beauty,” added the etiquette coach. “She doesn’t look like she’s looking for attention.”

If you’re going to wear costume jewelry, Karina says the best way to present it is with a minimalist attitude.

In the comments section, she clarified that the rule applies to high-end jewelry as well as more affordable pieces.

“It has nothing to do with money,” she said. “It looks cheap with designer and costume jewelry.”

Instead of piling up the jewels to simulate wealth, Karina recommended mimicking the simple look in the Bulgari ad campaign.

“She looks wild, like she owns the place,” Karina said. “This is how you should feel and look.”

3